Ear ornamentation, so popular and common amongst the fashion conscious people of today is usually attached to the earlobe by means of a post pushed through a perforation in the ear lobe with a retaining device attached to the protruding portion of the post behind the ear lobe, or by way of other devices which clamp on to the ear lobe.
The disadvantages associated with piercing and clamping devices are many with both piercing and clamping devices there is a great possibility that the ornament may be lost. In addition there must be a limit on the weight of the ornament to facilitate the wearer's comfort. Finally, clamping devices can cause great discomfort due to the pressure placed upon the ear lobe and piercing types possess a multitude of problems from the operation itself including infection, scaring and tearing of the lobe during installation, removal or if the device is pulled upon.
The means by which the ornament is attached to such a piercing or clamping device is predominantly via jump ring (a length of wire wound in a circular shape so as to join both ends at one common point, that is completing the circle). If not by jump ring the ornament is adhered directly to the post or clamp.
The process by which the jump ring is joined to the piercing or clamping device is tedious. Usually requiring special tools not common to the layman, thus ornamentation is available to the consumer as a set or complement parts including an ornament and an attached ear retaining device. If there is separation of the set due to damage of one part or another, or by the desire of the individual to join or combine a part of a particular set to another, a jeweler is usually needed.
Ear ornamentation in the past has usually been designed and manufactured to be worn on or directly below the ear lobe. This fact being partly due to the dictates of fashion and the availability or lack of availability of retained devices that would allow alternative positioning of an ornament about the ear.
Accordingly, it is seen that a need remains for extinguishing the aforementioned problems associated with the devices available for securing ornamentation to and around the ear. Therefore, it is to the provision of a solution to those problems that the present invention is primarily directed.